176:
251:
39:
224:
163:, Triumph's Chief Designer and Managing Director, launched the Triumph Speed Twin at the 1937 National Motorcycle Show. It was a 500 cc OHV vertical twin in a lightweight frame and the first truly successful British parallel twin, setting the standard for many twins to follow. After
247:, a feature retained until the end of the model line. In 1953 the Speed Twin caused controversy among traditional British riders as the generator and magneto were replaced with a Lucas alternator and battery/coil ignition system.
191:
red' with hand painted gold pinstripes to set off the chrome. Initially the one piece iron cylinder was secured with six studs which led to weakness, so these were replaced by eight studs. The two cylinders were fed by a single
208:, and the Triumph factory, which was working on an order of thousands of military specification 5T's, was completely obliterated, along with all of Triumph's technical records, drawings and designs. The
266:
and styling changes including the unpopular 'Bathtub' fairing which became more and more abbreviated as the model developed before disappearing altogether for the last year of production in 1966.
187:
of medium capacity was not revolutionary, the 5T Speed Twin model was lighter than many contemporary singles with significantly more power and torque. Early models were only available in '
167:
the Speed Twin was responsible for the survival of
Triumph, and several major British marques offered a 500 cc twin designed on similar lines to the Speed Twin.
525:
1061:
552:
493:
464:
204:– also from the single-cylinder production line. On the night of 14 November 1940 a German air raid destroyed much of the city centre of
212:
545:
709:
1051:
196:
Type 6 carburettor and many features such as the transmission and clutch were straight from the
Triumph single. Originally with a
133:
573:
376:
351:
538:
999:
160:
183:
Edward Turner's
Triumph twin was a major turning point for the British motorcycle industry, as although a 500 cc
989:
291:
286:
443:
108:
486:
1056:
632:
627:
1020:
867:
797:
460:
296:
343:
337:
19:
This article is about the motorcycle introduced in 1938. For the motorcycle introduced in 2019, see
1015:
688:
1025:
663:
637:
612:
243:
rear suspension. The headlamp and instrument area was tidied up in 1949 with the Turner-designed
102:
20:
647:
232:
745:
413:
274:
392:
236:
184:
70:
8:
693:
683:
673:
668:
642:
561:
530:
209:
152:
148:
49:
197:
1030:
776:
771:
766:
750:
725:
678:
240:
938:
844:
828:
740:
735:
622:
439:
372:
347:
270:
263:
193:
64:
954:
617:
596:
928:
912:
175:
92:
82:
520:
250:
781:
1045:
78:
979:
862:
164:
315:
984:
896:
201:
200:, the sprung saddle was the only rear suspension as the Speed Twin had a
112:
235:
was largely due to the Speed Twin, which was developed in 1946 with a
974:
119:
38:
994:
205:
188:
156:
812:
807:
802:
255:
244:
223:
87:
63 mm × 80 mm (2.5 in × 3.1 in)
560:
269:
The unit 500 engine continued development in the parallel
262:
Further development led to the 1959 model 5TA with a
438:. Barnsley: Pen & Sword History. p. 19.
1043:
546:
1062:Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines
254:The 1959 5TA Speed Twin. Note the headlamp
553:
539:
227:The drive side of a 1958 Speed Twin engine
215:used the Speed Twin from 1952 until 1959.
231:After the war the recovery of Triumph at
179:The timing side of 1937 Speed Twin engine
277:models which ceased production in 1973.
249:
222:
174:
369:Triumph Motorcycles Twins & Triples
1044:
562:Triumph motorcycles (Coventry/Meriden)
433:
534:
467:from the original on 29 November 2009
458:
366:
360:
335:
264:unit engine and gearbox construction
329:
13:
459:Smith, Robert (March–April 2009).
14:
1073:
514:
499:from the original on 21 July 2011
292:List of motorcycles of the 1950s
287:List of motorcycles of the 1940s
37:
1052:Triumph Engineering motorcycles
159:, and later Meriden factories.
132:365 pounds (166 kg) (
574:Triumph motorcycles (Hinckley)
479:
452:
427:
414:"Triumph Motorcycles timeline"
406:
385:
308:
218:
1:
371:. Motorbooks. pp. 9–12.
302:
258:and rear 'bathtub' enclosure.
7:
1021:List of Triumph motorcycles
297:List of Triumph motorcycles
280:
10:
1078:
316:"Triumph Speed Twin. 1937"
170:
18:
1008:
967:
947:
921:
905:
889:
880:
853:
837:
821:
790:
759:
718:
702:
656:
605:
589:
580:
568:
521:Triumph Speed Twin review
342:. Bookmart Ltd. pp.
128:
118:
101:
91:
77:
63:
55:
45:
36:
1026:Norton Villiers Triumph
463:. Motorcycle Classics.
273:range, ending with the
124:55 inches (140 cm)
97:27 bhp @ 6,300 rpm
21:Triumph Speed Twin 1200
434:Jagger, Chris (2017).
259:
228:
180:
813:T25SS Trail Blazer SS
436:Escorting the Monarch
339:Classic British Bikes
336:Kemp, Andrew (2001).
253:
226:
178:
32:Triumph Speed Twin 5T
1057:Standard motorcycles
393:"Triumph Speed Twin"
213:Special Escort Group
59:1938–1940, 1947–1966
746:Tiger Daytona T100T
526:1939 factory manual
367:Remus, Tim (1997).
210:Metropolitan Police
149:standard motorcycle
33:
1031:Triumph Bonneville
260:
229:
181:
69:498 cc 360-degree
31:
28:Type of motorcycle
16:British motorcycle
1039:
1038:
963:
962:
876:
875:
808:T25T Trail Blazer
694:TR65T Tiger Trail
461:"1959 Speed Twin"
378:978-0-7603-0312-2
353:978-1-86147-058-4
151:that was made by
141:
140:
1069:
887:
886:
868:Tigress (175 cc)
798:Tigress (250 cc)
689:TR65 Thunderbird
643:TR7T Tiger Trail
587:
586:
555:
548:
541:
532:
531:
509:
508:
506:
504:
498:
491:
483:
477:
476:
474:
472:
456:
450:
449:
431:
425:
424:
422:
420:
410:
404:
403:
401:
399:
389:
383:
382:
364:
358:
357:
333:
327:
326:
324:
322:
312:
41:
34:
30:
1077:
1076:
1072:
1071:
1070:
1068:
1067:
1066:
1042:
1041:
1040:
1035:
1004:
959:
943:
917:
901:
882:
872:
855:
849:
833:
817:
786:
755:
714:
698:
664:T120 Bonneville
652:
613:T140 Bonneville
601:
582:
576:
564:
559:
517:
512:
502:
500:
496:
489:
485:
484:
480:
470:
468:
457:
453:
446:
432:
428:
418:
416:
412:
411:
407:
397:
395:
391:
390:
386:
379:
365:
361:
354:
334:
330:
320:
318:
314:
313:
309:
305:
283:
237:telescopic fork
221:
173:
137:
73:OHV four-stroke
29:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1075:
1065:
1064:
1059:
1054:
1037:
1036:
1034:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1012:
1010:
1006:
1005:
1003:
1002:
997:
992:
987:
982:
977:
971:
969:
965:
964:
961:
960:
958:
957:
951:
949:
945:
944:
942:
941:
936:
931:
925:
923:
919:
918:
916:
915:
909:
907:
903:
902:
900:
899:
893:
891:
884:
878:
877:
874:
873:
871:
870:
865:
859:
857:
851:
850:
848:
847:
841:
839:
835:
834:
832:
831:
825:
823:
819:
818:
816:
815:
810:
805:
800:
794:
792:
788:
787:
785:
784:
779:
774:
769:
763:
761:
757:
756:
754:
753:
748:
743:
738:
733:
731:5TA Speed Twin
728:
722:
720:
716:
715:
713:
712:
706:
704:
700:
699:
697:
696:
691:
686:
681:
676:
671:
666:
660:
658:
654:
653:
651:
650:
648:X-75 Hurricane
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
609:
607:
603:
602:
600:
599:
593:
591:
584:
578:
577:
569:
566:
565:
558:
557:
550:
543:
535:
529:
528:
523:
516:
515:External links
513:
511:
510:
478:
451:
444:
426:
405:
384:
377:
359:
352:
328:
306:
304:
301:
300:
299:
294:
289:
282:
279:
220:
217:
172:
169:
139:
138:
130:
126:
125:
122:
116:
115:
105:
99:
98:
95:
89:
88:
85:
75:
74:
67:
61:
60:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
42:
27:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1074:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1049:
1047:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1013:
1011:
1007:
1001:
1000:Edward Turner
998:
996:
993:
991:
988:
986:
983:
981:
978:
976:
973:
972:
970:
966:
956:
953:
952:
950:
946:
940:
937:
935:
934:5T Speed Twin
932:
930:
927:
926:
924:
920:
914:
911:
910:
908:
904:
898:
895:
894:
892:
888:
885:
879:
869:
866:
864:
861:
860:
858:
852:
846:
843:
842:
840:
836:
830:
829:T20 Tiger Cub
827:
826:
824:
820:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
795:
793:
789:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
764:
762:
758:
752:
749:
747:
744:
742:
739:
737:
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
723:
721:
717:
711:
708:
707:
705:
701:
695:
692:
690:
687:
685:
682:
680:
677:
675:
672:
670:
667:
665:
662:
661:
659:
655:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
610:
608:
604:
598:
595:
594:
592:
588:
585:
579:
575:
572:
567:
563:
556:
551:
549:
544:
542:
537:
536:
533:
527:
524:
522:
519:
518:
495:
488:
482:
466:
462:
455:
447:
441:
437:
430:
415:
409:
394:
388:
380:
374:
370:
363:
355:
349:
345:
341:
340:
332:
317:
311:
307:
298:
295:
293:
290:
288:
285:
284:
278:
276:
275:Tiger Daytona
272:
267:
265:
257:
252:
248:
246:
242:
239:and optional
238:
234:
225:
216:
214:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
190:
186:
185:parallel twin
177:
168:
166:
162:
161:Edward Turner
158:
154:
150:
146:
145:Speed Twin 5T
135:
131:
127:
123:
121:
117:
114:
110:
106:
104:
100:
96:
94:
90:
86:
84:
80:
76:
72:
71:parallel twin
68:
66:
62:
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
40:
35:
26:
22:
980:Bert Hopwood
933:
803:TR25W Trophy
730:
633:T160 Trident
628:T150 Trident
570:
501:. Retrieved
487:"Speed Twin"
481:
469:. Retrieved
454:
435:
429:
417:. Retrieved
408:
396:. Retrieved
387:
368:
362:
338:
331:
319:. Retrieved
310:
268:
261:
230:
182:
165:World War II
144:
142:
103:Transmission
46:Manufacturer
25:
990:Brian Jones
985:Norman Hyde
883:motorcycles
845:T15 Terrier
710:Daytona 600
669:Thunderbird
583:motorcycles
219:Development
202:rigid frame
198:girder fork
1046:Categories
1016:Les Harris
939:T100 Tiger
767:Twenty One
751:Tiger T110
726:TR5 Trophy
679:TR6 Trophy
445:1526720418
303:References
241:sprung hub
56:Production
975:Doug Hele
968:Designers
736:Tiger 100
638:TR7 Tiger
623:T140W TSS
571:See also:
271:Tiger 100
155:at their
120:Wheelbase
995:Val Page
955:Tiger 80
863:Tina T10
618:T140 TSX
597:Quadrant
581:Post-war
494:Archived
471:5 August
465:Archived
281:See also
206:Coventry
189:Amaranth
157:Coventry
107:4-speed
929:Ricardo
913:Model H
881:Pre-war
590:1000 cc
503:12 July
419:13 July
398:12 July
321:12 July
256:nacelle
245:nacelle
233:Meriden
171:History
153:Triumph
50:Triumph
948:350 cc
922:500 cc
906:550 cc
890:650 cc
856:stroke
838:150 cc
822:200 cc
791:250 cc
782:Bandit
760:350 cc
719:500 cc
703:600 cc
657:650 cc
606:750 cc
442:
375:
350:
129:Weight
109:manual
83:stroke
65:Engine
1009:Other
497:(PDF)
490:(PDF)
344:90–91
147:is a
113:chain
93:Power
741:T100
684:TR65
505:2008
473:2009
440:ISBN
421:2008
400:2008
373:ISBN
348:ISBN
323:2008
194:Amal
143:The
79:Bore
897:6/1
854:Two
777:T90
772:3TA
134:dry
1048::
674:6T
492:.
346:.
111:/
81:/
554:e
547:t
540:v
507:.
475:.
448:.
423:.
402:.
381:.
356:.
325:.
136:)
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
